APRIL 24, 2015
MANHATTAN, NY
A construction worker died Friday in a crane accident while
unloading materials from his truck at a Midtown work site, authorities said.
The 40-year-old victim, whose name was not released, was
pinned beneath the arm of the boom crane attached to the flatbed truck at about
11:45 a.m., according to city officials and witnesses.
The dead man was clutching his phone when the fatal accident
occurred — with a piece of the crane pinning the helpless victim to the
sidewalk, an eyewitness said.
“They were using the crane on the truck to lift materials up
to the second or third floor,” said delivery man Javier Mendez, who walked past
the site. “Everything seemed normal ... it was fine.”
The truck driver was on the sidewalk as the materials were
lifted off the truck when there was a mechanical problem with the crane’s boom
arm, police said.
When the driver went to check on the problem, the arm
suddenly collapsed and mortally injured the man, police said.
“The crane part of the truck, the hydraulic, collapsed on
him,” said a worker at the scene.
The accident occurred on E. 44th St. near Second Ave., where
a white blanket covered a lone body after the midday tragedy. Fire officials
confirmed the accident involved a crane, and there were no immediate reports of
additional injuries.
“The crane fell on him,” said construction worker Juan Jose.
“We were upstairs working.”
Source: nydaily news.com
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A construction worker died after being pinned by a collapsed
crane in Midtown, authorities said.
The 40-year-old worker was unloading material from his truck
and became pinned against the flatbed of a truck when the arm of a boom crane
suddenly collapsed on a construction site at 219 East 44 Street, between Second
and Third Avenues in Manhattan, at 11:44 a.m.
He was pinned beneath the arm of the boom crane attached to the flatbed
truck.
The crane operator noticed the machine’s hydraulic system
was leaking from a hose in the bed of the truck, police said. As he was
attempting to fix it, the hose burst, causing the crane to collapse on top of
him, according to police.
“He was holding a phone,” said Fernando Bajana, 52, a garage
worker who saw the chaotic scene unfold from across the street. “His face was
red. He was trapped under the arm of the crane machine.”
People were yelling and screaming as they tried to get the
truck driver’s attention, he added.
Bajana said the trapped worker was often directing people at
the construction site.
The crane truck is operated by Kenry Contracting Inc.,
located in Yonkers. The company declined to comment at this time.
The construction site, which is the future home of the
luxury Even Hotel, received several complaints prior to the accident — and the
Department of Buildings issued two partial stop work orders. All of the
complaints were eventually dismissed by the DOB.